The Wayne County Fair is a staple in most families’ households. The fair means different things to different people, but we all have our certain traditions when this time of year rolls around. While the fair didn’t stop last year, it only consisted of people who showed animals; which wasn’t quite the same. But finally, two years after our last ‘regular’ year of the fair, it has come back in full force.

Parking, of course, comes with its usual issues of forgetting which letter row your vehicle is in after a long day, but that’s to be expected. There is no shortage of food vendors as you walk through the front gate, so if you’re going to the fair for food, like most of us are, you’ll have no difficulty finding some.

Most of the classic fair rides are there except for Top Gun. But there is the Musical Express, the Zipper, Zero Gravity, and many more. Over at the Lerch’s stand by the grandstand, you can not only buy their delicious donuts, but you can also watch your donuts be fried. Not far from Lerch's, the chicken dinners are back, and while they are not unique to the fair, they are a part of the fair’s tradition.

Referencing the grandstand, the inside tunnel underneath is a great way to cool off from the hot weather we will have at the fair this year, or from potential rain. The grandstand will host many classics such as the demo derby, the tractor pull, and the high school bands, along with some performances by artists.

The art that is featured in the school buildings is always interesting to see. Each school has so many talented students in many classes, including art. As you walk through the younger to older grades you can observe how the technique and art changes into something new.

But the fair is also a huge reminder of the new and old for a lot of people in Wayne County. A lot of the current attendees of the fair used to show at one point. The smells of the barn can bring so many memories back of what the fair used to be like. And for some of these people, they have passed along their love of animals and get to go to watch their kids show.

But a lot of things have changed at the fair, even in recent years. This year there is even a special addition of a thirty-foot by sixty-foot flag that has been put in place at the fairgrounds which you can see all the way over from Route 30. You are able to get a very nice view of the new flag from the top of the ferris wheel. From the seats you can see everything from the Church of the Savior to the Lerch’s stand. So if you don’t have a fear of heights, it’s one of the best views of the fair. But what has to be the best view would be the fair during the night. From inside the fair, or driving past, the lights illuminate the fairgrounds in a colorful way that seems to remind everyone of a childlike happiness.

The fair is the one place a year where you can meet so many people. It’s the one thing that truly brings Wayne County together. You can see people that you haven’t seen in years, and people you saw in the past week. People come in for all reasons, to hang out with friends, for the food, and to show. But no matter what we all come for, it gives us a chance to be a part of the community.